ESA Space App Camp 2021 - virtual edition
The European Space Agency (ESA) is inviting up to 25 committed mobile apps developers and artificial intelligence and machine learning EO specialists to attend its free virtual Space App Camp, scheduled for 20 July - 20 September 2021.
The ESA Space App Camp aims to make EO data and services accessible to a wide range of citizens using their smart phones or personal devices. An array of Earth observation satellites, including the Sentinel satellites providing data to the Copernicus programme, collect today a vast amount of data. This big data from space can reveal information on our planet’s atmosphere, land, and water, and offer countless opportunities creating attractive, even transformational applications in connection with mobile apps.
The Space App Camp participants will be introduced to the Copernicus data and learn about the many ways in which big data from space can enrich mobile apps using a dedicated API for EO data. The 2021 virtual edition revolves around an enhanced cooperation with the ESA Ф-Lab whose mission is to accelerate the future of Earth Observation (EO) by discovering new transformational ideas, and selecting, maturing, testing, and nurturing the most promising concepts. The Space App Camp participating teams can expand and demonstrate the practical skills while developing functional prototypes of their mobile apps.
Those who attend will be tasked with devising innovative apps and feasible business models in one of various subject areas, e.g. Marine Litter and Coastal Zones Management; Early-Warning Fire Detection; Artificial Intelligence in EO data; Smart Cities in 3D; Health & Tropical Disease Risk Forecasting; Education applications for EO and AI; and Gamification. For the first time, applicants can apply with their existing or independent ideas for app development and will receive mentoring in technology-oriented pillars (e.g. EO, blockchain, edge-AI, annotated semantic data models, etc.) to lift their mobile app concepts or early prototypes to the next level.
During the ESA Space App Camp attendees will additionally benefit from dedicated technical, business, and legal coaching from ESA and international experts; meet one-on-one prominent guests; join an elite group of like-minded people from all over Europe; and have the opportunity to win precious awards and present the results of their work via a dedicated Award Ceremony. Topping this is the prospect of attending the most prominent ESA EO event called PhiWeek to be held in October 2021 and the ESA’s week-long Living Planet Symposium in 2022.
The recruitment to the Space App Camp begins on June 17th and will last until July 8th 2021. Interested students, entrepreneurs, researchers, developers and economists are able to register online as individuals or teams (of up to four people). This year’s edition is specifically looking for participants with profiles in mobile app development, EO applications development, machine learning and artificial intelligence and business development. From the received applications it will be up to 25 participants that will be selected to take part in the 8-week-long mentoring programme from 20 July - 20 September 2021 featuring dedicated bi-weekly learning and development sessions.
The teams will then compete for the App Camp Prizes:
• EUR 2,500 (equally distributed amongst the winning team)
• An opportunity to participate in the week-long ESA’s Living Planet Symposium, currently planned between 23 May and 27 May 2022 in Bonn, Germany (all participation fees, travel and accommodation costs are covered by ESA);
• A unique Earth observation support package worth approx. EUR 3,500 (including: technical EO data consultancy, 8 hours of software engineering services, access to a global network of EO experts in applied and technical fields, support from professional ESA business developers, e.g. to find launching customers, 4 places on an online EO business development course)
Moreover, all of the teams can apply for further incubation at one of the ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs).
